


some other-worldly, miraculous thing

by Adertily, DaniJayNel



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Future Fic, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, content warning for fainting and food restriction abuse, content warning for mild medical pregnancy things (nothing is described it detail), the sword gets up to shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29138799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adertily/pseuds/Adertily, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniJayNel/pseuds/DaniJayNel
Summary: Adora was still amazed that something as monumental as a living being could be created unintentionally. That a whole person could be added to the universe. By accident.Wack.Catra was showing now, it was wonderful. Adora wasn’t going to admit it, Catra was still touchy about the word and Adora didn’t want to risk being banished to sleep in Melog’s bed, but her wife’s baby bump was singularly the cutest thing in the world.She still couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the fact there was a baby in there. Content to be safe and snug, surrounded in warm water and growing every day as though it wasn’t some other-worldly, miraculous thing. (Neither of them had grown up around pregnancies, Adora might have been being a doof about it.)
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 293





	some other-worldly, miraculous thing

Adora had only witnessed Catra faint once before.

It’d been three days into Shadow Weaver’s banning of her from the mess hall, _three days_ of no allocated rations. (Adora had smuggled her some, naturally) But by day two Catra’d already been lightheaded and woozy, so collapsing during a rigorous training sim the following morning had come as a shock to no one but Catra herself. (Catra’d pretended it hadn’t happened, naturally). After the embarrassment in front of their teammates, Weaver had withdrawn the restrictions, and Adora had stopped stuffing crumbs into her pockets when no one was looking.

Adora hadn’t even been certain what the punishment was _for,_ exactly. Catra never cared to clarify. Only that Adora had been half-conscious one morning — it could have so easily been a dream, and such a _nice_ one — when Catra had scrambled out of the bed they’d been sharing. A _split second_ before the barrack door had swung open. The warmth leaving from where it had been snuggled against the planes of Adora’s back suggested she’d been inarguably too close for Weaver to have considered it sinless.

When Adora woke properly, Catra was sat, tense and upright, in the bunk above her. A Force Captain stood at attention under the door frame glowering in their direction.

And Catra had not been allowed to eat for the three days following.

It was a memory tucked away amongst countless other mistreatments. But it played at the forefront of Adora's mind as she watched her wife from across the meeting table, Catra's eyes glassy and distant. Not in a bored way. Adora was familiar with those tells, the twitch of her ear like the news from Salineas was as engaging as a fly buzzing around the room, a swish of her tail as though she was refraining from her body impulsively standing, moving, just to have something for her limbs to do.

This was different. Because Catra was stock still in her chair.

No. Catra wasn't zoned out; Catra wasn't _okay_. Adora was sure she was the only one in the meeting who had noticed, Catra had always been remarkably good at silencing any expression of distress. They were surrounded by friends. Yet her guard was building walls like fortresses.

It was moments like this that Adora got a little pissed Glimmer didn’t let them sit beside one another at formal meetings anymore. Apparently, they were too much of a distraction. To each other? To everybody else? Adora wasn’t certain, but her wife had been phasing in and out of the conversation for the last half an hour, and she _knew_ Catra would demand she was fine if Adora made note of it. That, were she to stand and ask for them to be excused, Catra would roll her eyes and instruct Adora to sit back down.

So, Adora was going to be patient. Even when Melog crawled directly under the table and placed the weight of their chin in her lap, she would be _patient,_ because the way they blinked at her meant Catra hadn’t sent them. They were concerned all on their own.

It was _alarming_ , when the meeting disbanded and everyone stood to leave, that Catra remained in her chair until the last few had made their way from the assembly room.

Adora, pulled like a magnet, hushed as she reached her wife, “What’s going on?”

Catra braced a hand around Adora’s arm as she stood, made this weak sound, took a single step. And then _collapsed._ The only reason she didn’t land with a thud on the floor tiling was because Adora, like instinct, moved to catch her.

* * *

Adora’s wife was grumbling in She-Ra’s arms as she carried her toward the infirmary. Melog trotted along nervously at her heels.

Ears pinned, Catra disputed, “This is completely unnecessary.” Her arms folded too, like that was supposed to add to her argument. “I really don’t need to go, and I _really_ don’t need you to carry me like I’m some fucking _swooning_ damsel in distress.”

Adora wasn’t going to note that Catra could have oh so easily wiggled from her arms if she’d wanted to. “Listen, _you_.” She said like she was returning the curse. “There wasn’t enough blood getting to your brain, do you understand that? It’s a _problem._ ”

“It’s _passed_ ,” Catra contended. “I’m fine now. Anyway, you told me you get head rushes all the time as She-Ra, it’s not a big deal.”

“She-Ra is considerably taller than I’m used to,” Adora tacked on. “You don’t have an excuse.”

Catra groaned heatlessly. Her body tensing in Adora’s hold when she realised they’d reached doors of the castle's medical wing.

“Tell you what,” Adora released her wife, allowing the soles of Catra’s feet to meet the floor. “We can either go in there and you can humour me in getting checked out, or you walk all the way back to our room unassisted.”

Catra let out this competitive snort, as though she couldn’t believe she was being let off that easily. She took a few steps down the hallway before she wobbled, an arm flying out to brace against the wall. “Whoa,” she let out with an unsteady breath. Her face _paling._

“Okay,” Adora replied decisively, before scooping her wife back into her arms (who yelped a little), backing up into the door to nudge it open. “That settles it.”

* * *

Adora laughed when they announced it, twenty minutes and a few tests later, but the medic’s face didn’t shift like it _should have_ if this had been a joke.

Uhh. So.

Pregnant?!

Adora needed a minute.

* * *

_Like, how would this even have been possible?_ Glimmer had caught her up to speed on the whole 'logistics' of how these things worked after she’d left the Horde, and the medic standing in front of them was bracing as though they were expecting something to be _admitted_ , for something to _break._ (Possibly their marriage). She assumed that was solely from the shock on her face. This shouldn’t have been an _accident,_ not for them.

_How would this even have been possible?_

Maybe...

There had been that one day, that one _night_ , a month or two ago, Adora calculated, when they’d been messing about with the sword and it, uh, _you know._ It hadn’t really been _intentional._ She hadn’t even been warned it was a preset, just one of those euphoric, heat of the moment things and—

_Fuck._

* * *

An apology burned like a cattle brand in Adora’s chest. They hadn’t so much as talked about kids, and now it was all her fault that it was so suddenly happening.

Melog was quiet at the foot of Catra’s hospital bed, but Adora was too scared to chance a look at them to see Catra’s real emotions.

She turned to look at Catra, her mouth open with the very suggestion that if Catra wanted to terminate, they would.

And then she _froze_.

Catra’s face wasn’t filled with the shock and panic that Adora was sure she had on her own. No, Catra was staring at the medic’s tirade with a faraway look in her eyes, her lips slightly parted, but her eyes shimmering with something tender. Adora recognized that look. It was often the one Catra sent her way, in quiet moments when she was hit again with the realization that this was _it_. This was her reality. That they got to love each other, finally, freely and with the force of a burning sun.

It was _love_. Melog was glowing a deep, comforting pink by Catra's toes.

“Catra?”

Catra’s eyes focused again, flicked to her face. Then the panic started settling in, with the way Catra’s ears pinned back and her throat worked with a swallow. “Adora, we…”

Adora reached out and took her wife’s hand, pressing it gently against her own chest. “Catra, do you want this?”

Catra seemed taken aback, but Adora could already tell. She could see the answer plainly written in Catra’s soft eyes. There was new worry and old doubts, but the love there was real, and it was abundant.

“Do _you_?” Catra asked her breathlessly.

Adora’s heart squeezed. Her gaze softened. “Catra, I will be okay with whatever you decide. I… didn’t mean for this to happen, and I’m so sorry—”

“No,” she cut in, brow furrowed. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for this.”

“I literally did this though.”

“You…” She glanced away. Adora could sense that she was growing flustered, and she wondered why. “Do not apologise.” She tugged her hand free and settled it against her tummy. “Not for _this_.”

It was as if Adora had never really learned to breathe properly. The air left her lungs as her heart thudded against her ribs. She would never understand the force of her feelings, but that was okay. They consumed every part of her, and she would gladly let them. She was Catra’s in every sense of the word, and now… now they were having a baby.

“I didn’t think you wanted kids,” Adora told her gently. _Let alone be the one to want to carry them._

Catra snorted. “Me neither. But, now I—Adora, we…” Her eyes shimmered with tears. “Did we really do this?”

 _We_. Not you. Adora’s chest felt tight and warm. Catra would never blame her for this. Adora had been irresponsible, had not been in full control of her power, and Catra was still saying _we_ as if she were just as much to blame.

Adora drew Catra into her arms and pressed a kiss to her brow. “I guess anything is possible with She-Ra.”

“Adora, we’re having a _baby_.”

“I guess we are.”

“An actual baby.”

“Are you okay with that?”

She let out a soft, wonderous laugh. “I’m scared. But more than anything I’m in awe. I always wondered, you know, what our kids would look like if we could. I never dared to let myself want it though.”

Adora’s breath stuttered again. “You want kids with me?”

“Look at you, Adora.” Catra’s tail thumped against her leg. “You’re the most capable person I can think of to be raising a child.”

Insecurities and worries rushed up at her, but Adora decided they wouldn’t help. Catra was being uncharacteristically excited about this, and Adora would not dampen that. She was a little afraid to let herself want this, in case Catra changed her mind.

“Let’s do this, then,” she told her.

Catra pressed a shaky kiss against her throat. “We kind of have to now, don’t you think?”

Adora didn’t mention that they had other options. Instead, she let the hope and wonder break open in her chest. This wasn’t something she thought she wanted, but now that it was here, her mind was buzzing with thoughts of their future.

A future with their child.

* * *

Adora was still amazed that something as monumental as a _living being_ could be created _unintentionally._ That a whole person could be added to the universe. By accident.

Wack.

Catra was showing now, it was _wonderful._ Adora wasn’t going to admit it, Catra was still touchy about the word and Adora didn’t want to risk being banished to sleep in Melog’s bed, but her wife’s baby bump was singularly _the cutest thing in the world._

She still couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the fact there was a _baby_ in there. Content to be safe and snug, surrounded in warm water and growing every day as though it wasn’t some other-worldly, miraculous thing. (Neither of them had grown up around pregnancies, Adora might have been being a doof about it.)

Though, she wasn’t the only one making obvious that fact.

Adora had been keeping careful track, and Catra was one-hundred and forty-two days into the pregnancy (and yes, counting like that had been confusing everybody they talked to) when Catra shot upright in bed one evening.

Then, she said while glancing down at her stomach, as though it were a revelation, “ _Stars_ , I’m actually pregnant. Like, _actually_ pregnant.”

The book Adora had been pretending to read while fawning over her wife’s growing figure dropped into her lap. “Uh, yeah, I thought we’d already clarified that.”

Catra let out an amazed little laugh. Adora’s head tilted because she got the sense the reaction hadn’t been directed at her at all.

One of Catra’s hands moved to her abdomen under her nightshirt, palm landing just underneath and to the left of her navel. “I can _feel_ them.”

“Woah, seriously?” Adora joined her wife sitting upright, her heart in her eyes. “What’s it like?”

“Find out for yourself,” Catra was beaming. She beckoned for one of Adora’s hands, pulling her closer before placing it where hers had been a moment before. Palm flat against the warm, bare skin of her stomach. Watching expectancy, one of Catra’s eyebrows cocked.

Adora pouted. “I can’t feel anything.”

“Oh,” A little of Catra’s excitement fizzled away. She attempted to relocate Adora’s hand, pressing in just that tiniest bit firmer. “Now?”

“No,” Adora frowned. “Still nothing.”

Catra sighed. Leaning their foreheads together, her voice was soft when she said, “Well, they’re still pretty small. Maybe their legs need to grow a bit stronger first.”

“Stars, they’re gonna have such little legs,” Adora whispered in disbelief.

Catra hummed in agreement. “And little feet.”

“Little toes.”

“And little toe _nails_.” Catra chuckled warmly. She was only made aware of it when a tear splashed against her knee, they were too close together for her eyes to be in focus on Adora’s face, but her wife had started _sobbing_. A strange hiccuping noise escaped Adora’s throat then. “Jeez, Adora," Catra teased. "I thought _I_ was supposed to be the hormonal mess.”

“I’m sorry,” followed by a wet sniff, a wrist brushing over her eyes.

Catra moved to hug her arms around Adora’s neck, chin repositioning to tuck over her wife’s shoulders, amused when she replied, “You don’t have to apologise, you dummy. You wanna tell me what’s going on?”

“It’s stupid, it’s just—” Another hiccup, strong enough that Catra felt it where she was wrapped around her. “What if they have _little ears_?”

Catra leaned back, blinking at her wife. Adora’s eyes were misty, streaks down her face from crying. “You’re such a dork.” She announced, disguising the fact her own eyes were welling up by nuzzling her face under the crook of Adora's neck.

* * *

Melog wouldn’t leave her alone.

Catra wasn’t going to complain, she wouldn’t admit it of course, but she’d become noticeably needier in the last few months and Adora wasn’t always accessible. Melog was a perfectly good substitute as a mid-day sun nap companion.

They were sticking to her heel like glue any moment she was out of the bedroom, which was, unfortunately, most of the day.

She imagined that would change once they made the announcement, and she stopped dressing to deliberately conceal. Glimmer wouldn’t be one to make her stop working, of course. Conveniently finding less for Catra to do, however, didn’t seem unlikely.

She was debating whether she preferred naps over being a valued, useful member of society. Given a few more months, she thought she knew which one would win. The sunrays were so _warm_ this time of year.

It was Melog who ended up inadvertently telling everyone.

The council meeting had been moved outdoors under the blossom trees because the attendees had grown antsy sat indoors looking longingly out the window. It was a lazy sort of meeting. Catra’s favourite kind, and she could feel the baby moving, a tiny drum of legs against the lining of her insides.

And Melog, her wonderful, stupid cat, had paced over, and smushed thier face into her abdomen. While purring like a smitten thunder cloud.

It was probably her trying to shove them away that caught everyone's attention, but regardless, every face in the garden turned towards her.

Catra’s cheeks turned bright red.

Adora attempted to divert attention but all the stuttering no doubt made the scene more suspicious. Melog, meanwhile, dropped down beside Catra, their chin over her leg, looking up at her stomach all love struck.

Catra cleared her throat, cat out of the bag and all that. Before declaring, “So... I’m pregnant.”

As expected, any agenda Glimmer had prepared to sort through today was immediately thrown out the window, as they were instead bombarded by questions, congratulations and their friends themselves (like, physically). Too many hugs, Catra decided halfway through. Melog was actually pretty good at getting people to back off, so she thought she could forgive them.

* * *

The baby was moving more than usual, so Catra woke early. Adora was pressed close against her back, a nose buried against her shoulder and a hand softly pressed to her hip. She must have moved it in her sleep, because Adora had her hand over Catra’s swollen belly every second she could. Catra found it annoying most of the time, but she couldn’t deny it was adorable.

Only a few months had passed, and Catra was still reeling with the knowledge that they were having a baby. It was a huge surprise, but one that Catra greeted happily once she had a second to let it sink in.

Catra thought she would be frightened more than anything when she received the news that she was pregnant. She expected to feel it, the fear and doubt and anger. But none of that came, and she was just left feeling awe and love. She pictured a little magikitten nestled in her arms with Adora’s bright blue eyes and maybe her blonde hair, and her heart doubled in size. She wondered who their baby would take after more, her or Adora?

Would they be more human? More magicat? Would they be a perfect blend of both?

In the end, Catra knew that they would both love their baby no matter what they looked like or what traits they inherited. This was their baby.

“Mm,” Adora mumbled in her sleep, shifting closer again and pushing Catra farther across the bed as a consequence. There was only so close she could get.

Catra let out an annoyed sigh. If Adora kept this up, she would be nudged right off the mattress. She couldn’t help but smile in affection, and wrapped her tail around Adora's thigh. Adora’s breath ghosted across her exposed shoulder.

The baby shifted again, more rigorously, and Catra was hit with an idea. Maybe this would finally be it. She grabbed Adora’s hand and pressed it to the side of her belly, where the baby was busy practising their kicking, and then she was filled with delight when Adora woke in an instant, gasping.

“Baby?” she mumbled drowsily, sitting up but keeping her hand right there.

Catra could feel the firm kicks, so she knew Adora could too. Adora stared at her tummy with wide, brimming eyes. “Feel that?”

Adora’s eyes flicked to her. “I do,” she breathed, voice reverent. “She’s finally moving for me.”

Catra lifted a brow. “She?”

Adora flushed. “Sorry, I know we don’t really care but I just feel like it’s a girl.”

Considering that Adora had actually gotten her pregnant, Catra wouldn’t be surprised if she already had a magical connection to their baby. It also felt right, thinking about a _daughter_. Catra beamed, and when she started to purr loudly the baby stilled.

“She stopped moving,” Adora whined, pouting.

“She’s relaxing now,” Catra laughed. “Let our daughter vibe.”

Adora sucked in a breath. “Do you think she’ll look like me?”

Adora settled down again, but kept her hand plastered to Catra’s stomach. Catra wanted to roll over and nuzzle into Adora's collar bone, but let her have the moment in case the baby started kicking again. It had taken months, but Adora finally got to feel her move. “I think she’ll definitely look like you.”

“What if she looks like She-Ra?”

Catra stifled a laugh. “So you’re saying She-Ra’s the mom, not you?”

“No! I just—” Adora laughed. “Stupid concerns, I guess.”

“I hope she has your eyes.”

“And your ears,” Adora added. “Maybe not the teeth.”

“Oh she better have my teeth. She needs to protect herself, Adora.”

“She’ll be an infant!”

“Yes, and magikittens are well equipped from birth to stick up for themselves. Not like human babies.”

Adora grumbled. “Okay, I like the idea of her being able to defend herself if she needs it.”

“She just better not grow a whole foot in height and materialize a sword.”

Adora laughed into ruffled fur at the back of Catra's neck. The thought was more amusing than Catra would admit. She wasn’t truly worried, though. Whatever gifts their baby inherited, she would be perfect.

“I love you,” Catra purred, her voice filled with affection.

Adora pressed kisses to her shoulder, neck and underneath her jaw. “I love you too. Forever and ever.”

Their baby kicked again, Adora gasped in delight, and Catra couldn’t imagine ever feeling happier than this.

* * *

Catra was seven months in when it hit her that labour was something she was actually going to have to _do_. That if she wanted to meet their little kitten properly, and not just through the lining of her stomach, she was gonna have to actually _give birth_. But that concept was, inarguably, _horrendous._

So, she compartmentalised, pushed it to the back of her mind to deal with later. A problem for future Catra.

She really needed to stop doing that.

* * *

Her water broke as they were getting ready for bed a little over two months later.

Catra had just changed into her nightwear, and she was so blessedly close to getting as comfortable as her body would let her, when it _happened_. She wondered for a moment if she should just _lie._ Bury her face into a pillow to hide the tightness of her jaw as the beginnings of another contraction rippled through her pelvis, and pray for a few hours of sleep.

But her nightshorts were _soaked_ and the moment Adora realized, she was in _action_. Moving so fast she nearly gave Catra whiplash. Catra was taken to the medical wing of the castle by way of She-Ra’s arms, despite her demands that she could still walk perfectly fine on her own. Adora would hear none of it.

It was funny, actually, how similar it was to how this all started.

* * *

There had been no precedent, the medical staff had only given _estimations_ of how this might go considering theirs would be the child of a first one and a hybrid (who could have unorthodox births at the best of times). It was a miracle, they’d learned, that Catra was only carrying _one._ An accidental litter would likely have given them both a heart attack.

Catra knew pain. Had studied it, _grown_ with it, domesticated it until it was something she could handle. And this? This hurt like hell, but she was _dealing_ with it, thank you very much. Because this pain did not come from a place that was cruel or unkind, and this was a pain her body was prepared for, had grown and shifted for.

At some point, Adora’s hand glowed and reached out for her. The discomfort melted away instantly. As did the contractions, and while it was a nice respite, there was nothing here to heal, only to _push_ through.

Then, suddenly, Catra’s whole perceivable universe became this sound. This _mewling._ Like a radar that had just caught track of what it was searching for, her attention relocated toward the sight of this tiny, _tiny_ creature wriggling against the inside of her thigh. _Her baby_ , her kitten, she knew as innately as the exhausted purr that was building in her chest, was calling out for _her._

The midwife moved to check the kit’s airways and a noise escaped Catra’s sternum — a hiccup, not a sob, she would argue.

A girl. A _daughter_. Hers. _Theirs_.

She was _here._

Catra was definitely exhausted, _aching_ , but she felt more alive than ever.

The moment they heard her offended cry, Catra knew that everything she had ever gone through, all of the pain and misery, had been worth it for this moment.

For the tears washing down Adora’s face. For the love in her endlessly blue eyes. And for their daughter, small and pink with damp fur after she had been cleaned up. They trusted their doctor, and she made no move to take the baby further from them, but Adora was still paranoid and anxious until their little one was carefully placed into Catra’s arms.

She was absolutely perfect. Catra knew she could not have imagined anything more wonderful.

“Mara,” she announced with a sure confidence. Adora gasped softly.

They had tossed a lot of names around, none really having much meaning to them other than a few. Adora had been nervous to suggest Mara, but Catra thought it was perfect. Mara, the person that had given her life for their world, for Etheria. If their daughter was to grow up anything like her mothers, Mara was a fitting name.

“Catra.” Adora gently covered Catra’s hand with her own where it was so gently holding onto their daughter's closed fist. She was trembling. “Are you sure?”

Catra rubbed her cheek against the underside of Adora’s jaw after she leaned toward her, marking and purring. Adora sank into her happily, and then Mara made a soft noise and they both turned to look at her.

Her eyes were open and the brightest blue Catra had ever seen. They were feline like hers, too. Her hair was thinner than Catra’s, but that could always change as she grew. Undoubtedly a mixture of the two of them, and Catra thought that nothing would more physically capture the love between herself and Adora, than the child snuggled in her arms.

“I’m sure,” Catra told her, voice layered with the purr rumbling in her chest.

Mara yawned, squeaking a little from the effort of it, before the kitten’s eyes fluttered closed and she promptly went to sleep. Adora reached out tentatively to caress the side of her cheek. “I can’t believe we did this,” Adora marvelled.

Catra’s chest tightened with emotion. “We saved Etheria with the power of our kiss, Adora.”

“I know.” Adora rolled her eyes, grinning. “I just... she’s so perfect, and she came from us. Can you believe it? This little thing.” She took Mara’s hand as it moved away from Catra's. Adora sucked in a breath when the baby’s tiny fingers clutched on tightly. She already had claws, but Adora didn’t seem to care if they pricked her.

“She’s absolutely perfect,” Adora breathed.

"And look," Catra prompted, her fingers moving to curl rhythmically into the fur just beside Mara's cheek. The kitten started to purr. "Little ears."

"Stars, she's so cute it should be illegal," Adora's breathing caught like she might start crying at any moment. She assumed the only reason she didn't was because a medic stepped toward the hospital bed, breaking the little moment of _them._

"Would you like to cut the cord?" she asked Adora.

"Um. I don't think I can, my hands are so shaky." She wanted to, _stars_ , she wanted to, but she didn't trust herself right now.

"It's alright, there's no rush,” the medic smiled. "Get some rest. We'll be just outside when you're ready, and if you need anything else."

"Thank you," Adora said, her voice cracking on the words a bit. With that, and the slight metallic squeak of the door closing, they were left on their own.

She turned to find her wife purring like a mountain lion, gazing down at the kit in her arms and held close against her chest.

She watched as Catra nosed into the baby’s cheeks. Earning a mewl that was echoey from the vibrations in Mara’s chest, and when Catra turned to blink at Adora, her eyes were endlessly warm.

Adora was certain then, that there had never been a sight that felt more like _home_ before.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my (Adertily's) first collaboration fic! 
> 
> We hope you like it, comments are more than welcome!


End file.
